Mail-box.



1. H. VAN DORN, DECDJ- Patented Oct. 24, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

. ax V Q? J 11; H Eve 111 071 1165669 AME CW C(Wrw o 1. H. VAN DORN, DECD.

M. A. BAE-R, EXECUTRIX.

MAIL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-15.19M-

Patented Oct. 24, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Q 6 iegfon Mmw UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES H. ,VAN DORN, DECEASED, LATE OF CLEVELAND, 01-110, BY MARGARET A. BAER, EXECUTRIX, F CLEVELAND, 01110, ASSIGNOR' TO THE VAN DoEN IRON WORKS COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND. 01110, A CORPORATION, or 01110.

MAIL-Box.

Patented Oct. 24, 1916.

Application filed January 15, 1915. Serial No. 2,463.

To all-whom it may concern:

Be it known that JAMES H. VAN DoRN, late a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cleveland, the county of Guyahoga, and State of Ohio, now deceased, did during his lifetime invent certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Boxes, of

The invention consists in the construction 7 and combination of parts shown in the drawing and hereinafter described and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a front elevation of aletter box and support therefor embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same with the door open;

Fig. 3"is a vertical section in the plane of line 33 on Fig. 1 of the upper part ofthe letter box when theletter-drop is open for the reception of letters; Fig. 4 is'a similar sec:

tion of the front part of the box when the letter-drop is closed; 5 is a sectional plan through one side of the dome of the cap, the section being in the plane indicated by line 5 5 on Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a vertical A section in the plane of line 6-6 on Fig. 1;

and Fig. 7 is a section'to one sideof the letter box in plane 77 on Fig. 6.

Referring to the parts by letters, A repre-' sents the box body. This is preferably formed of sheet metal pieces,that is to say, a front wall a, a rear wall J a, two vertical sides a, and a bottom a all of which parts are fitted and preferably welded together. The upper end of this box is'open, and the upper ends of the front and rear walls are curved toward each other, and the tops of the side walls are correspondingly curved, as shown in Fig. 2.

B represents the cap which is preferably made of cast iron. It is formed to fit and overlap the curved front and rear walls of the box, and to fit down upon the curved top of the side walls. This cap has a dome-like upward extension C. whose front wall is vertical; and through this front wall is 'a rectangular opening a for the insertion of letters. i

.The letter drop E normally occupies the vertical position shown in Fig. 4:, whereby it closes the rectangular opening in the front of the dome,the top edge of said drop lying under and close to the upper-edge of said rectangular opening. Across the front face of this'-letter drop,that is the face which is the front facewhen the letter drop is in the closed position,is a rib 6 having in its lower surface a cylindrical groove 6 which opens downward.

1 D' represents the letter drop hinge bar. The foot (Z of this bar is secured, as by rivets, tothe front faceof the cap along the lower edge of the rectangular opening a, and the bodyof this bar extends upward, and has on Its upper edge, a cylindrical rib cl which projects into and fits the cylindrical groove 6, wherebythe letter drop is hinged to the cap 1n such position that it may swing from one position to the other, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. When the letter. drop is in the horizontal position shown in Fig. 3, the letter may be inserted and laid upon the then horizontal letter drop. When, therefore,

the letter drop is allowed to turn to the position shown in Fig. 4, which it doesby gravity, the letter will drop into the box. It is evident that when once the grooved rib e is hooked over the cylindrical rib all, these parts can not be disengaged except by the upward movement of theletter drop. When the letter drop is closed, such movement is prevented because, as stated, theupper end of the letter drop lies beneath and close to the top wall of the opening which it closes. Along both sides of this letter drop are the rearwardly projected flanges 6 The edges of these havethe form of an arc, whose center is the axis of the hinge bar, and the radius of which is substantially the distance between this'axis and the top wall of the letter drop opening. When, therefore, the letter drop is swung to the open horizontal position shown in Fig. 3, these arc-shaped flanges will always have their upper edges close to and directly under the top wall of said rectangular opening, and thereby they always prevent any upward movement of the letter drop. On each of these flanges is a shoulder a which are so placed that when closed, as shown in Fig. 5. r i

represents a hollow pedestal having a base plate 9, which may befastened to Ithe sidewalk; The'upper end of this pedestal behind and closeto the upper edge of ing .nioveinent Isaid drop, and likewise preventany outward 'nfovementof said letk j ter drop such as niightdisengage it from said hinge bar.

In assembling the described parts, rib Z} is .put' into'thegroove 6 before the ,v

hinged bar D is attached to the cap. Then when the letter drop has been passed through the rectangular opening 0, and the hinged bar brought to the position shown,

the latter is secured by rivets, as stated.

hen this has been I accomplished, the removal of the letter dropis impossible.

- It is to be'noted, that when the letter drop is closed the rib eoverhangs the hinge bar "rib and'acts as a water she'd to protect it from rain and snow. In orderto effectually prevent rain or snow from getting into. the letter box at the side of this letterfdrop,the

the letter drop open position theyfli'e opening, and therefore they limit the swin g-v of'- swinging so that when it is open it will been horizontal position, as shown in 6. To permit this an extension wing M'is pivoted near its lower end to each of the flanges 7L. Each'of these wings extends upward (when the 'door' is open) alongside of the outer face of the associated flange, and it is provided with an outwardly turned fingeum, which projects behind andais adapted to engage that part of the front plate a -whioli -foi-'ins the side wall of the side'edgesof the latter,above the hinge, are

extended forward andthen outward to form the flanges e; and in thereariace of each of sa d flanges is a"vert1cal groove 6 lIltO,

which the side edges of the rectangular opening a project when the letter drop is is rectangular, and fits nicely into the lower furnish the recess for the reception of this pedestal, the bottom plate a of the box body has a downwardly turned marginal flange a*, which flanged bottom platefits end of the letter box body. Inorder 'to and is secured in the lower end of the body.

Vhen the box is on the pedestal, these flanges'go down over the top of the pedestal aud t-he bottoinplate rests on the top of the pedestal. This pedestalhas two cross'bars F ",to which thebottoln of the box issecur'ed by the screws Y There isan opening (6 in the front wall of thebox for thereinovalof letters: This isnornially closed by a door- H whichis' hinged? along its lower 'edgeto that part of the front plate" a whichis adjacent to the loweredgeof said openinga Thebox must, of course, be secured upon the pedesta-l while this door'is'open;becausewhen'the -door is closed the screws' are inaccessible.

This doorha s along its "sidefedg'es: the" flanges it. These extend rearwardly into the box whenthis "door is closed, or, rather inoreexae tly, eaeh extends-into a pocket T formed byoneof the? side walls" and by an '60 adjacent" falseside wall" J which issecured tothe=sidesof= the box along: its upper edge,

as' shown in' 'Fig: 6. There' is also? an inclined falsebottom K5 securedzinthebox, as

'It is desirable-that theater-H teea atie door opening. Near the free end of each wing is an arc-shaped slotm, and into this projects a-stop-pin 7t whichissecured-to the associated flange. \Vhen the door is swung open the fingers m engaging" the front plate a will he"stopped, b'ut the door will be allowed tof'continue' its swinging qinovenient until the stop pins 72/ engage the When the door is ends ofthe slots m; I closed these extension w ings,lik'e the flanges la w'ill he in the pockets: formed by the false side's J, and will, therefore,be outof contact with the letters As the doorisreaching' its closed position the flanged edgesof' these extension wings will engage the bottom plate a? and will be stopped,'

but the door in'a'yeontinuetoclose because it"can '1nove relativelyto these extension:

' Noattempt has been inadeto-show the-- wings. a

means" by which this do'o r" is locked, since that is nop'art of the present invention, and

any-suitablelocking device-may be used-forthis purpose. n

Having thus described the invention,-

1"; The combination with a letter 130K" having a. vertical front portion through" which is a rectangular opening having hori zon'tal top and bottom' walls, and a hinge bar having a horizontalcylindrical rib I thereto below and adj aeent: said rectangular less than the width of said rectangular opening from side to sidew-hioh-letter drop is adapted to occupy a vertical position wholly within theletterbox with itsruppen' edge beneath and very close to the upperedge of said-rectangular opening said letter drop having on ItS" front face anoutwardly extended horizontal rib in whose lower face is-a cylindricalgroovewhich fits andis rotatable upon thecylindrical rih along the upper edge of the hinge bar, and saidletter drop having along 'its side edges rearwardly extended: flanges formed with arcual edges;

that always li'e close to and benjeath-the upper edge of said= rectangular opening.

' 2325 The combination with a letter box, having a rectangular opening. for the insertion of'letters, of a; letter drop, WhiChQq-WhQH' closed, is inside of said box and has its upper edge beneath and close to the upper edge of said rectangular opening,said letter drop being provided on its front face with a horizontal rib having in its lower surface .a cylindrical groove, a hinge bar secured to said box adjacent to the lower edge of said opening and having along its upper edge a cylindrical hinge rib, which projects into said groove, whereby the letter drop is hinged to said box, said letter drop having its side edges above the hingev extended forwardly and laterally to form flanges whichlie in front of and outside of the side edges of said rectangular opening, and said flanges having grooves in their rear faces which receive the side edges of said rectangular opening when the letter drop is closed.

3. The combination of a pedestal, and a letter box which fits upon said pedestal and Copies of this patent may be obtained for has downwardly extended flanges which embrace the top of the pedestal, said box having a bottom in-which are holes for the passage of screws; screws operable from inside of said box to connect the bottom of the box to said pedestal, said box having an opening in its front wall through which said screws are accessible, and a door for closing said opening and a false bottom secured within said box inclined from its rear edge down to its front edge,said false bottoms having holes through which a tool may pass to operate said screws.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiixemy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

- MARGARET A. BAER, Eweeutm'm of the estate of James H. Van

Dom. Witnesses:

F. B. VAN DORN, F. G. S ITH.

five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patent! Washington, D. G. 

